The Blizzard and the New Moon
by Taro Shinsei
Summary: It's winter and there's a blizzard. The new moon is coming too... This is my first fanfic. Hopefully it will go how I want it to. ;o) Please take the time to review my story. THANKS! Pairings: I
1. Default Chapter

I do not own the characters in this story. I won't profit in any way from it. The characters belong to and are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
CHAPTER ONE  
  
Inu Yasha held the sleeve of his kimono up to his face to help protect his eyes from the driving snow. What had Kagome been thinking?, he wondered moodily, to bring them out into this mess.  
  
Turning his head he checked the nearly unconcious girl still hanging to his back. He immediately became concerned. Damn that girl! When would she ever learn that sometimes even he knew when to stay indoors.  
  
His golden amber eyes surveyed the horizon, straining to see through the blizzard. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. His keen demon eyesight noted a distant, dark smudge on the horizon. Was it a woodsmans' hut? A stable? Inu Yasha didn't really care, he knew he just needed to get Kagome out of the cold and snow.  
  
Utilizing his demon strength and speed he pushed himself into fighting the elements. Leaping through the snow was tiring, even for him. Speed was of the essence, now. Kagome's lips were turning blue and he knew that couldn't be a good sign. Snarling at the blizzard he leaped up the hill towards the dark smudge. His eyes scanned as much of the area as he could see, which wasn't much. That meant he was dependant on his keen nose. That suited him, it had saved him numerous times in his life before now. He sniffed the air for scent. Nothing other than the wet smell of snow came to his keen senses. Which meant this might just be a woodsman's empty hut, built for just such a circumstance as this.  
  
Half way up the hill he felt Kagome, slipping off his back. "NOOOOO," he yelled in fury. "DAMN IT GIRL, hold on." Kagome, having slipped into the blackness that had nibbled on the edges of her conciousness for some time, slipped off into the waist deep snow. Sinking beneath it's surface in seconds. Inu Yasha, frantic, dug quickly for her body. Shivering, unconcious, crusted with snow from head to toe, greeted his eyes. Growling at this new development he slipped the huge pack off her back and onto his own. "Feel like a pack mule", he grumbled to himself. Picking up Kagome's body into his arms he continued his ascent towards the hut.  
  
Finally, he reached it. At this point his great endurance was eroding fast. He quickly ran the days of the month through his head. "OH NO...." the next day would be the night of the new moon. The most hated night of his life. His demon abilities would wear down through the next day, cumulating in the change from hanyou to full human after sunset. Great timing he thought, bitterly, just great. He tried the door of dwelling, noting that he had been right, it indeed was a small woodsman's hut for protection against the elements. The door was frozen shut. "DAMN IT, " he yelled at the door, "OPEN". Giving it a frustrated kick, careful to not shatter the door, no matter that he wanted to.  
  
He tried the door again. Growling, daring the wood to defy him again. The door moved slightly under his tugging. Having no choice, he put Kagome down in the snow, and quickly dug around the door with his claws, shovelling the snow behind him as fast as he could. Tugging again the door slowly opened enough that he could squeeze through with Kagome upright in his arms. He tossed the cumbersome pack through the doorway first. "What's she carry in that thing anyway, " he thought, "ROCKS?" He picked Kagome up, one arm around her waist, the other her shoulders, their bodies were pressed together from waist to shoulder as he dragged her, feet limp, through the door way.  
  
Wearily he laid her on the floor, turning pulled the door shut. He sighed as he looked around the small room. Dirt floor, small stone fireplace on the one side of the room with the futon and wood frame on the other. His eyes searched easily in the gloom. He could see in any light, day or night. One of the many benefits to him of being who and what he was. His sharp gaze caught sight of a wooden box near the fireplace. He opened it. Thankfully, he allowed a sigh to escape him. Firewood filled the box. Dry kindling to one side of the wood. Ah, there it was a flint stone.  
  
A low moan recalled him to the problem at hand. Kagome...lying on the floor, drenched in snow and ice. She was shivering in a way that couldn't be good. He walked to a far corner and shook himself all over. Snow splattered off of his kimono and white maine of hair. He went towards Kagome, she needed help. He'd seen this kind of thing before. Many years ago when he lived with his mother in her village. Exposure. It could kill if she was warmed up too fast but it would certainly win if he didn't start doing something. He went to the pack and opened it up.  
  
"Feh," he said. "Why does she carry so much JUNK?" His lip lifted in a sneer at the need for someone to need so much to survive. Then he remembered, he was weakening too. Soon, he'd be as weak as Kagome. The new moon was coming.  
  
He pawed through the stuff in the bag. In frustration he started tossing things everywhere emptying the bag. "Clothes," he thought," and a blanket" were what was needed now. At the bottom of the pack he found it. A blanket. He pulled it out. It was what she had termed a "sleeping bag" she'd shown Miroku and Sango how to open it up flat then refold and knit the sides together. What she hadn't known was that he'd been paying close attention from the tree limb he'd been sitting on at the time. He sighed in relief. Then he hoped he would find some clothes, something, anything. He found the thin things he'd seen her sleeping in more than once. Pajama's she'd termed them. However they had been near the top of the pack and were soaked with snow.  
  
He knew he'd spent almost too much time looking for things to survive. Kagome was worse. Her skin bluish, her lips almost purple. He took off the coat she'd at least had the sense to wear and looked at her. This was going to be difficult. He knew what needed to be done. A blush rose in his cheeks. He set to work, his face carved in stone.  
  
NOTE: This story is based on the anime Inu Yasha, which takes place during the time of Feudal Japan, sometimes called 'the Warring States Era'.  
  
hanyou = half demon  
  
youkai = demon 


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own the characters in this story. I won't profit in any way from it. The characters belong to and are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Oh, btw, I'm looking for reviews. Please don't flame me though.  
  
CHAPTER 2  
  
First, he stripped Kagome to her "bare essentials". Hoping those funny underthings she wore under her clothes would be dry. Thankfully they were just slightly damp. He decided he could leave them. Her body was mostly naked now which was needed. He placed her on the futon and then opened the sleeping bag into a blanket and covered her. This was the part that would be hard for him.  
  
People ususally forgot that he was educated. He wasn't totally ignorant. His father being the Great Demon Lord of the Western Lands and his mother a human feudal lord's daughter had brought education with it. He could read. He had had the best education available when he was very young. His father had insisted on it. When he had died and Sesshoumaru had cast his human mother and him out of his father's lands his human grandfather had continued with what education was available.  
  
Then, there was Kikyo. Unknowingly his stony expression became grimmer. Kikyo. The priestess, the woman he had loved more than 50 years before. She had been educated, as all priestesses were, in healing. When they had been close she had taught him what she knew. Shoving back the unwelcome memories he continued stripping down. His bright red kimono hit the floor. His under kimono was next. Finally he stood clear of clothes except for the small undergarment he wore underneath.  
  
The air was cold but his hanyou blood would last for at least another day so he wasn't as aware of it as he knew he would be the next day. He climbed in beside Kagome, pulling her icy body next to him. In his mind, he heard Kikyo explain to him about this condition. "Many people make the mistake of rubbing the body to increase the blood's movement she had told him. They also put them too near a fire. Body heat only is safe." "You must bring up the temperature first, then slowly help to increase the circulation in the body only AFTER that." "Why, " he had asked, curious to hear the answer. In his memory, Kikyo's face was serious and sad as she said, "If things are done too fast and too soon the person will die. Those that don't die are injured inside for the rest of their lives. Her soft face although not normally very expressive was sad. "Their hearts burst inside their chests."  
  
He looked down at the dark head on his chest. He was determined that a fate that grim would never happen to Kagome. Not if he could help it. He had promised to protect her and he would. His skin was chilled where her cold body touched him and he pulled her tight to his chest willing his body to slowly warm her up. The futon beneath them warmed slowly. His body heat built up in the small space covered by the sleeping bag. There was nothing to do but wait. He yawned, his fangs showing as he did so. He was tired, more than he should be but he remembered the effort he had put into leaping through the snow that had been almost chest high and realized he was tired due to exertion. He listened with his keen hearing for Kagome's heart beat, rewarded to hear the faint thump. She was breathing deeply and that reasssured him. He could nap while he waited for her body to warm. His large, golden eyes closed, he allowed himself to fall asleep. His fall of long, silvery hair in stark contrast to the raven head next to him. 


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters in this story. I won't profit in any way from it. The characters belong to and are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
CHAPTER 3  
  
Instantly Inu Yasha was awake. His eyes still closed, his nose tested the air for scents. Dust, dry earth, woody smells, and...the smell that was dearest in the world to him. Kagome's. What then had woken him? The body pulled against his chest shook and small moans came from Kagome's mouth. His eyes flashed open and he laid her on her back as he levered himself upright so he could see better. Her face was flushed and pink, her lips almost back to their normal colour. Her limbs were starting to jerk in small spasms which is what he was waiting for. He smiled grimly. This was likely not only going to wake her up but hurt a great deal also. He decided to keep her body covered and start with her feet. He climbed from under the cover and crouched on the futon. He pushed the cover up to expose her feet. Small, delicate toes, high arch a rather pretty foot. It was once again pink but still a bit cold to the touch. He started working on it.  
  
Taking her foot into his strong, clawed hands he started rubbing the foot, firmly hanging on it to as it tried to jerk from his grasp. Kagome's body jerked and her moan became louder. He could see that her head was moving as she instictively tried to push him away with her other foot. He called to her, " Kagome". Her head stilled and her dark eyes slowly opened, rather bleary and blank. "Kagome," he said again. " you have exposure. I need to rub your feet, legs and arms now that you have warmed up enough. Do you understand?" Kagome frowned as she tried to force her mind to focus on what Inu Yasha was saying to her. Exposure? Why did that sound so familiar? A lesson from a First Aid course she had recently taken came to mind. Hypo...what? Hypo--ther---mia. Hypothermia, sometimes called exposure, and frostbite came to mind. She tried to focus. Inu Yasha was saying she had this. She thought back, to being cold on Inu Yasha's back. More cold than she could ever remember being. She remembered clinging to him as he searched for shelter then....nothing, blankness. " I must have fainted," she thought in surprise.  
  
His voice came to her again, sharp with irritation. "Wake up, Kagome!" Her tongue tip peeked between her lips, then licked them. Her mouth was so dry. She tried to speak. " Inu....Inu Yasha?" she said. She was surprised, her voice was all wispery and it was hard to speak. She saw his keen ears twitch on top of his head and knew he had heard her. His amber eyes bored into her, sharp with impatience and demand. "Kagome," he said. " Your main body has warmed up, now your body is trying to get blood back to your fingers and toes. I have to help it. I have to start rubbing now." He saw her head nod that she understood. He said the next part quietly but firmly. " It's going to hurt. It may hurt quite a lot. Do you understand me? I don't want to hurt you but I have to help your body now. You are warm, your temperature is near normal and if your blood can't get to your toes you could lose them." Kagome shivered. He sounded so, so serious. Looking at his grim face, framed by his silvery white hair, she knew he was serious and so was their situation. She swallowed, realizing that this may be one of the toughest parts of her life. She nodded her head and wispered, "Ok, go ahead. I know it will hurt, I'll do my best not to fight you." White ears flicked again as they caught her wispered words. The ghost of a smile flashed across Inu Yasha's face. " I know you will, " he said. He started to work on her foot more.  
  
Kagome's body arched under the sleeping bag as the pain of returning circulation hit her. One foot had been massaged until she'd screamed in pain. Inu Yasha was now working on the other. It wasn't that he was being rough or unkind. He was being as gentle as he could but very firm in trying to encourage the circulation to return. A few tears leaked from under her closed eyelids. She bit her lip as she tried to stifle the cries. She knew Inu Yasha couldn't stop and wouldn't until the foot was warm again. Her hands and arms would be next. She had tried to move them herself and they felt like lead. She wasn't looking forward to this.  
  
Inu Yasha for his part was hating every moment that Kagome cried, flinched and tried to stop her body from fighting him. He was holding down her other leg with one of his, partly because she'd been unable to control a muscle spasm and had kicked him in the face. It had given them a moment of levity as he looked into her horrified face afterwards. He'd shaken his head more than he needed to and a glimmer of a smile had crossed her face that she'd kicked him so hard. In actuality it hadn't hit him that hard, he'd had worse blows but he'd attempted to lighten the mood as he continued to work, on her feet and legs.  
  
He hadn't noticed how cold it was still in the cabin since he was concentrating on her feet. Once he was done though he covered them and stood up and stretched. Sitting hunched over feet for a long time had cramped the muscles of his shoulders and upper back. He needed to stretch them. He looked over at Kagome. Saw the look of surprise cross her face, the blush that suddenly stained her cheeks. He looked down at himself and allowed a smug grin to come to his face. His body, tall, strong, was displayed without much covering it right now he remembered. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at Kagome. There was an unusual look on her face. She looked embarrassed but also....admiring? His grin widened. He knew he was good to look at. He was tall, not as much as his brother, Sesshoumaru, but still tall. Taller than Kagome was. His muscles were iron hard and shaped his body in a very pleasing way. Broad shoulders, muscled arms, firm chest and flat abdomen arrowed to narrow hips and long strong legs. He walked to his clothes and felt them to see if they were wet. His under kimono pants were slightly damp so he put them on. Everything else was wet.  
  
He walked over to the wood box. " I'm going to chance a fire now, " he said. I think you are warm enough. Besides, you can't dress in wet clothes and neither of us has anything else to wear. He busied himself making the small fire. Then he hung the clothes near the flames of the small fire to dry them. There were metal hooks from the fireplace that served for this and hanging metal stew pots over the fire. He knew his kimono was safe as the hair of the fire rat was impossible to burn but her things could and would burn so he arranged them farther from the flames. Satisfied with his arrangements he walked back to the futon where Kagome, lay. He sat down beside her and pulled one of her arms out from under the sleeping bag. He started again working to increase her circulation with her hands and fingers by rubbing the skin and kneading it to get the blood flow increased.  
  
Kagome had watched with attention as he started the fire on the far side of the room, arrainged their wet things and come back to her side. It was in fact hard to keep her eyes off of him. His grace and strength was in every move he made. It made it harder for her to realize that no matter that they fought so much he really must care for her after all. He'd done everything he could to help her. Taken care of every detail he could while she was unconcious. She watched as he came over and sat on top of the cover and started to work on her hand and arm. His brow creased with concentration, careful of his claws that could slice her and careful not to put too much pressure on her body to hurt or bruise her. His attention and care was evident in everything he had done since she had fainted. She wondered why he was being so careful of her. Was it because she could sense the shards of the jewel? Was she only a detector of the Shikon no Tama, the Jewel of Four Souls, to him? Somehow she didn't think so. She wasn't sure what his reasons were really, just that right now she was grateful to have someone like him to look after her.  
  
Just then the pain started to hit her again. Thankfully it seemed to be less in her arms and hands, compared to her feet. Still it caused her to tighten her jaw and grit her teeth in the attempt not to cry out. Finally, Inu Yasha seemed to be done. Both arms and hands, legs and feet had been massaged to encourage returning circulation. He returned to the bottom of the futon and checked her feet again. He seemed really concerned about them. "Is everything ok, Inu Yasha?" Kagome asked. Watching as he checked her feet, flexed them for movement, etc. Inu Yasha raised his eyes to hers. " They seem, fine now," he said. " But feet can be tricky if I remember right. They were more frozen still when I was working on them than your hands and arms were. I think they are fine now." 


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters in this story. I won't profit in any way from it. The characters belong to and are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Kagome, relaxed her body at that statement. Not even realizing that she had been holding her breath. Living half of her life in the feudal era was difficult sometimes. There were so many things she couldn't tell her family. The danger, being kidnapped on occasion (Kouga the wolf youkai came to mind). So many things that her family living in the twenty-first century wouldn't understand. As she relaxed she noticed another problem. Her face went fire-red. Inu Yasha's eyebrows rose into his hairline. Blushing? "Um, Inu Yasha, " she said, " is there a...........a....." She gulped nervously.... " a bathroom in this hut?, " she wispered. Now it was his turn to blush fire red. His cheeks blazed. He scooped her up sleeping bag and all and carried her over to a small door in the wall. He propped her against the wall then opened the door to it. Then, cheeks still blazing ran to check the weather at the door to the hut.  
  
Wrenching open the door he stood there half-naked and breathed hard. The cold slapped him hard and a flurry of snow fell in the door when he opened it. He was very glad of that, his iron control was slipping. That couldn't be allowed to happen. He stared into the darkness of the night, watching the snow swirl. He knew they were in trouble still, even if Kagome didn't. He sniffed the air and smelled only more snow. "Damn, he thought. We are going to be here at least another day. The storm is still raging." That didn't please him. On many levels. The main one being that time was passing and it was almost the night of the new moon. The next night he would be at his most vunerable. Snarling slightly he turned from the door to realize that Kagome was walking towards him from the fireplace. Clothing in her hands. She thrust his kimono at him. "Here, this is dry," she said. Shrugging, he dressed swiftly in his under kimono shirt, fire rat pants and outer kimono. He fastened Tetsuaiga in it's customary place at his side. Soon he stood before her looking like the Inu Yasha she was used to. She said to him, " my pants and shirt are almost dry, now I'll watch that they dry and don't burn."  
  
His voice answered her without looking at her. "We are still in trouble, wench." We need food, we can eat snow for water and this snow is going to last at least another day. To make matters worse, tomorrow is the night of the new moon." Kagome turned to face him at that statement. " Tomorrow, the night of the new moon?" she gasped, " Already?" "Yeah, lucky me," came the sardonic voice, " here we are stuck in a blizzard in the middle of nowhere and I can't get us out of here. The weather is against us and since I'm getting weaker and more "human" (said with disgust) we are going to be stuck here until after the new moon. "We have at least a day and another night to live through. I don't know if there's more wood, either. Yet another reason to keep the fire small as possible."  
  
She turned troubled eyes to the fire now. The clothes were almost dry. Food? They needed it? "Where's my backpack, Inu Yasha?" He pointed to the middle of room where he had left it. She walked carefully on her tender feet to the pack and kneeled down, the sleeping blanket wrapped tightly around her. She looked resignedly at the mess he'd made of her things. Sighing, she moved the pack and checked it out. "A-ha!! " came the delighted sound out of the girl. Inu Yasha turned back to the room after closing the door. " A-ha?" he queried. Kagome was delighted and proud of herself. She said we have food! She pulled packages of ramen out of the pack, followed by a collapsable camping pot, some dehydrated vegetables and some dried fish. The vegetables and fish were in a woven packet, slipped into the pack by Kaede she thought. The ramen by herself and her mother. There were chopsticks also to eat with. She looked up at Inu Yasha, eyes shining with delight. Just then, a loud rumble came from the vicinity of Inu Yasha's belly. They looked at one another and burst out laughing. For once, in total accord. 


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters in this story. I won't profit in any way from it. The characters belong to and are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.  
  
CHAPTER 5  
  
Smiling, Kagome went back over to the fire. She checked her clothes. Yes, they were dry. She scooped them off the iron rods and retreated into the small room she'd been in before. Quickly, she re-dressed in the clothes. Sweater, socks, jeans. She was glad that she'd had the sense not to wear that flimsy school uniform she often wore. Jeans had seemed more practical and she was certainly glad for it. When she came back into the main room she found Inu Yasha had filled the pot with snow, putting it to melt over the small fire.  
  
He looked over at her. She was now dressed again and that suited him fine. He was worried though. However, since it looked like they would be able to eat soon he decided to push his worries to the back of his mind, for now. Sniffing the air he smelled the aroma of cooked ramen. He turned his head to look towards the fire. Kagome was carefully stirring the ramen mixture over the fire with chopsticks, breaking up the noodles as they cooked. She tossed in some of the dried vegetable matter and dried fish with it. His stomach growled again, loudly.  
  
Kagome heard the growl of Inu Yasha's belly and knew that he, like her was very hungry. She rummaged through her pack looking for anything that could be used for a bowl. She came upon a plastic bowl that she'd stuffed with needles and thread. Quickly she dumped the contets, rinsed the bowl in snow and poured a portion for herself in the bowl. Inu Yasha could eat out of the pot. Besides, he'd need more than she would, anyhow. "Inu Yasha," she called, "food's ready.".  
  
He turned his head and looked at her. " I know it's ready," he said, " I CAN smell it." Kagome rolled her eyes. 'Well,' she thought to herself, 'so much for continued peace.' Then she smiled. It just wouldn't be Inu Yasha if he wasn't his usual acerbic self. He may seem rude and gruff on the outside but she'd now seen a softer inner person. "Well then," she said, "come and get yours. Here's some chopsticks, you eat out of the pot." Inu Yasha walked over to where the pot was sitting with chopsticks beside it, grumbling under his breath. Kagome ignored him. It would be pointless to react to his behavior if they were going to be cooped up for at least another day and night. She decided to let it roll off her back. If he really got upset he might actually leave. That would get neither of them anywhere.  
  
In silence they ate their meal. Kagome rinsed the bowl and pot with snow after they were finished. She still felt thirsty and wasn't sure why. Inu Yasha filled the pot full of snow and let it melt near the fire. She looked at him questioningly. "You'll need to drink a good deal of water," he said. It's something that happens after you have been cold like you were, for a long time." "Oh," she said, "that explains while I'm still thirsty after the soup. I'm dehydrated then. At least a little."  
  
Inu Yasha did not reply to her statement. He was wondering what on earth they were going to do. Stuck in a cabin together. No Sango or Miroku to bicker with. Not even Shippo to amuse and annoy with his kitsune ways. Inu Yasha was however, quite grateful that they didn't have Miyoga to annoy them. The grandfather flea had opted to stay with Kaede and stay warm. Unknown to Inu Yasha, Kagome was wondering the same thing. What are we going to to? Sit here and stare at each other all night?  
  
As if he could hear her thoughts, Inu Yasha turned towards her. "It's getting late in the day, you need to rest more. We'd better get some sleep." 'Sleep?' her panicked mind said. 'Where?' "How can you know the time, Inu Yasha?" she asked. She was gathering up all the remnants of the meal and storing them in her backpack as she sipped the water he'd melted for her.  
  
Broad shoulders shrugged, " I don't know. I just do. It's evening now. We'd better get what sleep we can. I won't sleep at all tomorrow, you know" It surprised her, his reference yet again to being human on the next night. However, she took it in an encouraging way. He was getting more open about how the night of the new moon affected him. At least with her. Since he didn't share his emotions very freely or openly she'd take every little step as what it was, progress.  
  
*note :Kitsune: shape-changing fox demon, mischievous 


End file.
